Vietnam

Urbanisation and population growth in Vietnam

Tran Thi Nhu Mai

I used to pass the central lake in Hanoi on my way to school. I would walk along the peaceful path everyday. Before the war I would see many different types of birds and butterflies. Many ancient Banyon trees surrounded the lake at the time and I used to collect the leaves and use them to create whistles.

There used to be a lot of sparrows in Hanoi at that time and lots of bird nests in the trees. Today there are not so many birds in the city. I remember that during the war the birds disappeared. After the war they cut down many of the older trees and planted new ones, so there are not so many places for the birds to live. The birds don’t build their nests in the trees today because the branches of the young trees are not large enough. The birds in Hanoi still sing, but I here them less.

Hardly any children walk to school today, they are driven by motorbike or car by their parents. The introduction of motorbikes and cars in Hanoi has had a big impact on the city and its citizens. Most Vietnamese like owning a motorbike as it increases their mobility and motorbikes are not too expensive to run. I think that there is rise in critical diseases due to the increased in air pollution. Many people wear masks to protect themselves from the smoke and pollution. I also think that the temperature of the city has changed, as now it feels much hotter than the old times.

I think that building design has also affected the temperature of the city. When I was young we had just one fan for the whole family and the house remained cool and fresh. The house was designed to be well ventilated. Nowadays we have a fan in each room and an air conditioner and sometimes it still feels uncomfortable.

Over the last 5 years I have been working on a number of environmental education projects. At the beginning we didn’t know what to do, but there is a Chinese proverb that says if you keep going and going then a road will be paved. With many training workshops and activities we have been able to increase the environmental awareness and the knowledge of the people of Hanoi.